The Catholic Archbishop of Detroit sparked controversy after he urged worshippers who support same-sex marriage to skip Holy Communion.

Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron recently was quoted saying that Catholics who receive Communion while supporting same-sex marriage would “logically bring shame for a double-dealing that is not unlike perjury.”

Spokesman for the archdiocese Joe Kohn told The Oakland Press on Tuesday that the comments were not meant to target same-sex marriage specifically.

Kohn said that when you receive Holy Communion it “means something,” and Catholics that oppose the church on serious matters such as the rejection of the divinity of Christ, racist beliefs, support for abortion or same-sex marriage contradict the church’s beliefs.

“The archbishop is pointing out if you are redefining marriage ... if you publicly oppose the church on a serious manner, he is pointing out you are in conflict ... with the church,” Kohn said.

The Archbishop wants to help Catholics avoid such a conflict, Kohn said.

Reader Mary MacMaster wrote that churches should have the say in who can get married, not the government.

“Each religion has its own religious and moral doctrine and the government has no business or authority dictating what moral and religious code they should follow,” MacMaster said. “The decision to marry should always be left up to two people and their clergy. If you can’t follow your religion, then you always have the right to choose another, or none at all.”

Reader Melanie Corp said she believes in both God and same-sex marriage.

“If my church frowns upon (my views), then it’s not the right place for me,” Corp said. “If this is true, every individual will have to make their own choice. The church is not a democracy, they don’t always do things or make rules that will please the majority. They make their rules and you can accept or reject them and go elsewhere, where you can worship like-minded people.”